Title: Future research directions for collective entrepreneurship in developing countries: a small and medium-sized enterprise perspective

Authors: Vanessa Ratten

Addresses: School of Management, La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University, Plenty Drive, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract: Most of the current research on entrepreneurship is focused on developed countries and less has been written about the changing market conditions of developing countries. The aim of this paper is to focus on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries are encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in their business environment. By highlighting the importance of fostering collaborative entrepreneurship in developing countries a number of future research suggestions are espoused. These research suggestions include the role of individual entrepreneurship factors, culture, government intervention, the informal or grey sector, family business, historical development, demographic differences and technological innovation in developing countries in Africa, South America, the Middle East and the South Pacific. The findings of this paper are useful for business, policy makers and entrepreneurs interested in creating a collaborative entrepreneurial climate in developing countries.

Keywords: developing countries; innovation; Africa; Ghana; Kenya; South Pacific; South America; collaborative entrepreneurship; social entrepreneurship; collective entrepreneurship; historical development; societal entrepreneurship; emerging markets; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; collaboration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2014.062505

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2014 Vol.22 No.2, pp.266 - 274

Published online: 02 Jul 2014 *

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